foods Review Analytical and Sample Preparation Techniques for the Determination of Food Colorants in Food Matrices Konstantina Ntrallou 1, Helen Gika 2,3 and Emmanouil Tsochatzis 1,3,* 1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
[email protected] 2 Laboratory of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Department of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece;
[email protected] 3 BIOMIC AUTH Center for Interdisciplinary Research of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Innovation Area of Thessaloniki, 57001 Thermi, Greece * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +30-6977-441091 Received: 28 November 2019; Accepted: 3 January 2020; Published: 7 January 2020 Abstract: Color additives are widely used by the food industry to enhance the appearance, as well as the nutritional properties of a food product. However, some of these substances may pose a potential risk to human health, especially if they are consumed excessively and are regulated, giving great importance to their determination. Several matrix-dependent methods have been developed and applied to determine food colorants, by employing different analytical techniques along with appropriate sample preparation protocols. Major techniques applied for their determination are chromatography with spectophotometricdetectors and spectrophotometry, while sample preparation procedures greatly depend on the food matrix. In this review these methods are presented, covering the advancements of existing